Roger Torrent: the youngest Parliament president
Unlike his predecessor, Torrent has been an insider of Esquerra Republicana since he entered the party at 19 years old
At 38 years old, Roger Torrent became the youngest person to be elected president of the Catalan Parliament on Wednesday. As an MP for left-wing Esquerra Republicana, his candidacy was backed by all pro-independence parties, which together hold a narrow majority at the chamber.
He is taking the post in a crucial moment for the institution, right after an election imposed by the Spanish government, which threatens to maintain direct rule in Catalonia if pro-independence parties make a unilateral push for a Catalan Republic again.
Torrent’s stunning rise has been possible in part because his predecessor, Carme Forcadell, stepped aside due to the charges she faces for allowing the declaration of independence last October. She spent a night in prison and was released after paying a 150,000€ bail. Torrent takes this post totally clean, but knowing that the Spanish prosecutor will have an eye on him.